PAW Patrol Sends Its Pups Into Prehistoric Chaos And Early Reviews Are Already Barking Approval

Summer moviegoing season is winding down, but Paramount and Spin Master are betting families still have room for one more trip to theaters before school starts back up. The animated franchise built around Adventure Bay’s favorite rescue squad is gearing up for its third big screen outing, and this time the pups are trading their usual city rescues for something far more prehistoric.

‘PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie’ is set to hit theaters on August 14, and the marketing rollout has leaned hard into just how much bigger this installment aims to be. The story follows the pups after their ship gets caught in a mysterious storm and they crash land on an uncharted tropical island filled with dinosaurs. There they meet Rex, a pup who has been stranded on the island for years and has become an expert in all things dino related.

Now that critics have actually seen the finished film, the numbers are starting to roll in, and they paint an encouraging picture for the franchise. Early buzz circulating online points to a Tomatometer score sitting in the high 70s, with reviews still trickling in ahead of the wide release. Multiple outlets tracking the film’s reception note that the overall response from critics has been mostly positive, with several reviews currently highlighted as Fresh.

The plot escalates once the PAW Patrol’s archrival Mayor Humdinger begins recklessly mining the island in hopes of exploiting its natural resources, inadvertently causing a huge dormant volcano to erupt. From there, the pups are thrown into a series of high stakes, dino sized rescues bigger than anything they have done before, racing to stop Humdinger before everything on the island goes extinct. It is a clear attempt to raise the stakes beyond what 2023’s ‘PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie’ delivered.

Critics reviewing the film so far have zeroed in on its emotional core as much as its spectacle. FandomWire’s M.N. Miller gave the movie a 7 out of 10, describing it as a fun and emotional adventure that stays visually appealing while delivering a positive message to young viewers. That kind of reception tracks with what the franchise has built its reputation on, family friendly entertainment that rarely aims for anything beyond warm, simple lessons about teamwork.

Behind the camera, ‘PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie’ reunites the creative team responsible for the franchise’s recent momentum. Cal Brunker returns to direct, having co-written the screenplay with Bob Barlen, and the film is produced by Jennifer Dodge, Laura Clunie and Toni Stevens for Spin Master Entertainment, distributed by Paramount Pictures. The voice cast has become a genuine talking point in its own right, with EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson, Terry Crews and Jameela Jamil anchoring an ensemble that also includes Mckenna Grace returning as Skye alongside Snoop Dogg, Bill Nye and Paris Hilton. Ron Pardo also returns as the franchise’s recurring antagonist Humdinger, the one role that has stayed constant across the entire film series.

The box office comparisons are already circulating too. ‘PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie’ opened to roughly 23 million dollars domestically and another 23 million overseas for a global debut near 45 million dollars, and that film had cost a lean 30 million dollars to produce before marketing. Whether ‘The Dino Movie’ can match or top that pace will become clear once opening weekend numbers land.

With critics largely on board and a starry cast drawing extra attention, the pups look poised for another solid showing. Are you taking the family to see Rex and the rest of the crew battle a volcano this weekend?